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Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Hunting can be as complex or simple as you want to make it.
Most of us love gear and trying out new things, but the fact is you only need a
few things to hunt. The best and most experienced hunters I know carry very
little with them into the woods. In fact, a great way to tell if a person is a
good hunter is to look in their hunting pack. The smaller it is, the more likely
it is that they are a good hunter.

There are a few things you absolutely must have. You absolutely
need a gun or bow, a knife, and your license. After that things become optional
depending on what and how you are hunting. On the top of that list for me is camouflage.

You may not realize it, but the use of camouflage is
controversial in some circles. A surprising amount of people do not believe it
works or is necessary. Many states require you to wear blaze orange, and if you
can still be successful with that, why not just wear blue jeans and a flannel
shirt? It is not a bad point. I will
agree that it is not necessary for all quarry and types of hunting. Squirrel
and rabbit hunting does not require it. Neither does hunting from a blind or
tent (although it is a good idea). However, it is my opinion that camouflage
can only help you, and it never hurts you.

To understand why, you must know how camouflage works. There
are two basic things camouflage does. It matches your pattern with the
background and breaks up your outline.

Blending in with the background is more complex than it
sounds. To do this your camo needs to match the foliage (or lack thereof) that
you are surrounded by. For instance, a marsh pattern would not work in a tree
stand. In fact, that would make you stand out. This is why you may need several
sets of camo, even if you only hunt in one area. The green camo you use in
early fall will not blend well in the grey of winter. When the snow falls, you
need some snow camo. Remember when I said it is a good idea to wear camo in a
blind or tent? A simple all black outfit can be perfect for that situation. To
find the best
hunting jackets available right now, check out that link!

For the same reason all of your camo should match. A woodland
set of pants and a marshland jacket will make you stand out, not blend in. Also,
don’t forget your gun and pack. If they are shiny or look unnatural then your
camo outfit will be wasted.

Blending in is especially important when bird hunting. Birds
can see in color and have good eyesight. Mammals, like deer, coyotes, and bear, are not
quite as picky about the pattern. For them the most important aspect of camouflage
is its ability to break up your outline.

Most mammals cannot see color like we can. It is a myth that
animals see only in black and white. They do see color, but not quite as many
as we do. Deer see blues, greens and yellows the best. They cannot see red well
at all. To them, red looks very similar to green. They also cannot tell the difference
between shades very well. Camo that is a bunch of different shades green and
brown just look like a green blob to them.

So with that in mind, when deer hunting you should
prioritize camo that breaks up your outline. The color does not matter as much.
Things like wide belts, backpack straps, hat brims, rifle scopes, and boots all
emphasize your outline and steps should be taken to minimize and camouflage
these areas.

Deer have amazing peripheral vision and notice movement very
easily. Keep this in mind when planning your camo. What do you move the most? Your
hands, feet, head, and gun (or bow). Make sure you have good camo on these
areas, especially your hands!

While you are looking into the best camo pattern and type
for your next adventure, check out Under
The Open Sky. It has some excellent reviews!

Monday, August 28, 2017

Editors Note: Going with our theme of guest posts this month, here is a great post about red dot sights!

Do you want to
improve your aiming speed and accuracy? Then a red dot sight is a good first optic to use, and it is
because of the following reasons.

Different Red Dot Types at Your
Disposal

There are two
basic types of red dot sights, tube/tubeless and holographic. The tube type allows you to have an option of fitting dust covers and
has the ability to add filters such as haze filters. The tubeless type is
hollow, but resembles the tube type.

The holographic
design comprises of a flat base with a single loop of material that helps it
support the reflective optics. The tube/tubeless types are heavy compared to
the holographic type.

Fast and Easy Target acquisition

A red dot is a
good first optic that allows you to sight your target fast and easy at both
long ranges and close ranges.

With the red dot
you will never have to keep the front sight aligned with a rear sight. It is best when you wish to acquire
targets precisely at close range.

Increased Situational Awareness

With a red dot,
you will not have to shift your focus from the front sight to the target, but
stay focused when taking shots. Keeping you focused ensures that you acquire
fast shots and quick targeting.

Red dot sights
are popular all over the world and are mostly used by shooters who compete in
shooting sports. New shooters are also recommended to mount their pistols
with the red dot sight. They are easy to learn how to use.

Can Be Used in Low light Conditions

In low light
conditions, a red dot sight works well if its brightness is properly managed.
Red dots feature either automatic brightness sensors or manual controls. In
order for it to work in low light, the red dot has to be adjusted up to the
right brightness; not too dim or too bright.

The red dot
comprises of active or passive adjustments for the dot’s brightness. This
allows a bright dot to be used in bright conditions for visibility and a dim
dot to be used in low light conditions to prevent loss of night vision.

It is best suited
for individuals with poor eyesight. Elderly shooters or those with eyesight
problems may find it difficult to focus on a front sight. The red dot sight
solves the problem by always appearing in focus, even when focusing on far
distant targets.

You may also use
night vision gears such as NVGS, when targeting at night. It is hard to shoot
targets at night, but the red dot sight makes it easier by providing you with
superior focusing.

Allows One-Handed Operations

Mounting the red
dot on a pistol creates a right-angled projection on the slide that can be used
to track the slide, reload and clear malfunctions with one hand. It its an easy to use sight that mounts well on various
weapons

Comes With Versatile Reticle Patterns

Red dot sight
reticles are measured in MOA (minutes of angle), which is best suited for
shooters using English units. The most common reticle used in red dot sights is
a small dot that is provided in different MOA sizes, such as 1 MOA, 3 MOA or 5
MOA.

The size you
choose does mainly depend on preference and convenience with respect to the
application. For instance, a 5 MOA is large so you can aquite your target quickly. With a 1 MOA reticle, the dot will cover 1.05 inches at 100
yards.

You get to
experience a single point of focus when a red dot sight places the target and
reticle near the same optical plane. Red
dots with small reticles are best for acquiring precise shots at a long
distance range.

A small dot covers
less space and does not obstruct your target, making it easy to use the red dot
up to 200 yards. On the other hand, red dots with a large reticle are easy to
see and fast at acquiring targets unlike the small reticles.

Another
significant attribute of most high-end red dot sights is the ability to provide
multiple reticle patterns, including a dot, a circle, crosshairs, or a
combination of two of the mentioned reticle patterns.

You Get Superior Eye Relief

Eye relief is the
functional distance that the optic is placed away from the shooter's eye. Red
dot optics that are not magnified, offer you unlimited eye relief, meaning that
the red dot can be mounted as far from your eye as you want.

A long eye relief
prevents the site from impairing the user's vision during recoil. It also allows
you to experience more peripheral vision and fast setup.

Generally, a red
dot is the best first optic that will make your shooting experience more fun.
New shooters and also experts can use it for fun, learning and in fast
shooting competitions.

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Editors Note: I've focused on building things for my outdoors adventure, but I've never focused on the tools I use. This guest post does exactly that!

Some tools may be expensive but if you have a plan to buy them on a priority basis, within a short period of time, you have a good stock. Only then, you will realize why you need to have these 5 Must Have Power Tools.

If you look back history you will find lots of carpentry and construction was done by a hand tool. But the era has changed and a power tool can perform multi tasks, thousands time better compared to previous handmade tools. You may find the hand tool performance is slower than US congress passing their budget.Rotary Power Tool

Exceptionally designed for multipurpose uses by skilled mechanical engineers a rotary power tool is considered the revolutionary DIY working tool. The rotary tool lets you cut metal more easily and conveniently with it super power capacity. It has also the capacity of doing precise and small scale DIY tasks. You can also use one of the best rotary tools like a pencil.

They also have various rotary speeds from 5000 rpm-32000 rpm and have the ability to adjust the overall speed according to you task patterns and your job requirements. It is a versatile power tool has various attachments so you can use it for cutting, grinding, polishing, carving, and shaping all possible way of your needs.

Sander

Sanding is not a fun task but a good sander can make the process much less painless. Look for a palm sander for light work, a disk sander for moderate work and a belt sander for the heavy jobs. THis is one of those tools we don't enjoy using, but everyone needs.Power Drill

A drill is indispensable, It is amazing how often you will need to make holes in stuff! A cordless drill is your best bet as it can easily drill holes and drive screws.

However, If you need to perform your work on a consistent area then you can buy a corded power drill. It offers higher power compared to cordless one but you may require an extension cord.

You have to keep in mind that the cordless power drill has 2 speeds but corded one has variable speed.

Table Saw

A table saw is strictly not necessary, but it is very useful. You can use a table saw for mitering, cross-cutting, and many more tasks.

A better quality table saw have integrated utility and safety features including rip fences, better blades, super power motors and flexible table. They can make your work much easier.

Screw Gun

This is more of a convenience item, but one worth getting. A screw gun is basically a screwdriver with a motor attached. It makes short work of tedious tasks and saves yout hands and writs from unnecessary strain.

The better tools you have, the better your work will be and the more you will enjoy doing it!

Editors Note: Here is a great guest post on gun safes, something every gun owner needs.

It’s
terrifying to think about what could happen if a burglar or your child gets
their hands on your firearm. Using a secure gun safe is among the simplest and
best things you can do to increase you and your family’s safety.

When we are on the hunt
for the best gun safe that meets our expectations and budget, the fact is we
want the best of the best. To be frank, a gun safe isn't cheap. However, since
you need it to stockpile your bullets and firearms, you should invest good sum
money to get a good one.

This is undeniably the
most important feature and not the cost. There is no point in scrimping on a
quality gun safe; if you can afford to pay for a gun, you can afford to buy a
good quality safe.

The most basic are those
that use combination locks, but that isn’t enough nowadays. In times of an
emergency, it can be difficult to use the lock combination, since people panic.
Luckily, a lot of gun safes today have voice activation capabilities. With voice recognition,
security will be guaranteed.

Other safety measures
include:

·Numeric locks using a keypad &

·Fingerprint biometric scanning similar to
burglar alarm systems.

If you’re going for the
safety/combination locks, you need to buy a gun safe with a dead locking feature.
You should also check out the durability of the box itself. At the very least
it has to be fire and water resistant and able to withstand heavy blows.

2.The size and the weight

The heavier the safe, the
harder it will be to carry off from your property. Gun experts suggest the
weight of a safe should be considered when searching for the best gun safe
under 1500 dollars. A well-sized gun safe should be able to stow your entire
gun collection without being too messy or cluttered.

3.Quality

No two things are built
alike, and this same rule applies to gun safes too. One gun safe might be
inexpensive, but its quality might be poor, so quality is something you have to
delve into as a buyer. Some gun safes which have very good quality builds and
their reputations supersede your expectations. Making inquiries about the
brands of the best gun safe under 1500 dollars is a great way to check for
consistent quality.

4.Aesthetics

Admittedly, function
precedes over form when it comes to gun safes, but you don't want an ugly
looking thing to embellish your office. Some safes can be hidden so that it
doesn't look obvious, but they do come at a premium.

Furthermore, there are
some types of gun safe that you can choose. You will find that each type of
this equipment is used to keep a certain type of gun. In-Floor safe and In-wall
safe are two types of safe that you can choose. These are ideal for keeping
handguns. You can also keep your jewelry and other important papers in these
safes.

5.Fire proof

This makes a BIG deal.
There's no sense in spending money on a model if it doesn't protect your
valuables in the event of a fire-which is much more likely than a break-in. Gun
safes are rated for 3 hours, 60 minutes, and 30 minutes of burn time. For safes
that can withstand higher temperatures for a longer time, the cost of acquiring
them is a bit high.

Conclusion

Let's face it; your gun
may be one of the more expensive things that you buy in your life. It's also
one of the most important. It will provide you with protection. It can not only
endure but continue to work well beyond your lifetime with proper care. It is
also very dangerous with improper care and handling. For all these reasons, it
is important to have a gun safe to keep it in.

If you invest your
money on a high-quality Best Gun Safe Under 1500 dollars, you might just be
able to prevent thugs from getting away with your expensive weapons someday

Thursday, August 17, 2017

Here is another guest post! I've really been enjoying getting to learn all these tips from other outdoorsmen! Do you have any topics you would like covered? Let me know in the comments!

*********************************************************

The
Top 5 Deer Hunting Do's

Are you starting deer hunting and want to
know about the best possible way to attract as many as possible. Well, these
five tips are here to help you.

Cover
Your Scent

One of the ways that you can tell if your
deer hunting season is going to be a success or not, is through your ability to
fully cover
up your scent. Deer are able to
smell a human from a mile away. They
will also be able to detect the smell that you leave on the ground and in the
air as you walk around.

The good news to this is that you will be
able to easily cover up your scent and prevent the deer noticing you with a
scent eliminator. These eliminators will
generally be sprayed on the bottom of your boots and on your hunting
stand. As the name suggests, they will
eliminate the smells that deer pick up as human.

You should also look at bathing with
scent-free soap. This should be done
before every hunting trip and will ensure that you do not leave any strange
scents in the air. Of course, even with
these precautions, you need to ensure that you stand downwind from the deer to
ensure that nothing is left to chance.

Fool
The Deer

There are a lot of hunters that do not believe
in tricking the deer with decoys or calls.
If you are one of these hunters then you are actually missing out on a
lot of action. It is important that you
consider these tools and determine which ones you should use.

Be
Attractive

Using deer attractants is another strategy
that a lot of veteran deer hunters have been using to increase their success
rates. The open market has a wide range
of deer attractants that you can choose from including deer feed, deer urine
and much more. The use of attractants
will enable you to have more deer close to your stand which you can take down. (Editors Note: Be sure these are legal in your area before you try!)

A great example of when you should use
these attractants is a drag rag which has been soaked in doe estrus
during the peak rut season. Bucks will
generally follow the trails directly to your waiting stand. However, it is never too late to start using
these attractants as part of your hunting strategy.

Decoys are also another way that you can be
more attractive to the deer. The modern
models that are available are very lifelike and will trick the deer fairly
easily. As long as you have set up your
decoy correctly, you should see an increase in visitors to your hunting area.

Other methods that can be used to fool deer
will include the use of a call. This
could be a grunt tube or a bleat can.
The rattling of antlers can also door a deer into your range for the
perfect shot. Of course, before you
start using these tricks, you need to ensure that you know how to use them
correctly.

Be
Quiet

There are many hunters that think covering
their scent will be enough, but they would be wrong. Deer not only have an excellent sense of
smell, they also have excellent hearing.
Deer are able to detect movement from as far as a quarter mile on a
non-windy day. If they hear your
movements, it could take them 2 hours to return. A deer bling can help and here are some of
the best
deer blinds of 2017

One of the ways that you can avoid making
noise on your hunting day is to set up your stand a few days in advance. You should also walk carefully and step with
care when you make your way to the stand to ensure that you do not spook any of
the deer that are around.

Know
When To Hunt

Knowing when you should be hunting is vital
and it is important to remember that anytime is not the time to hunt deer. Deer are the most active during the early
hours of the morning and close to dusk when the sun is starting to set. If you are going to hunt during the evening,
set up your stand around feeding areas.
For morning hunts, set up your stand along the route to bedding.

It is important that you not apply all of
these strategies at the same time. If
you are in rut season, anytime will be a good time to hunt since the buck are
likely to show up at any time in any location.

If you are interested in staying awake as
much as possible and maximizing the amount of sleep you get during the hunting
season, read on. We will explore how to do it and the best way to ensure that
you are not sleep deprived while hunting while at the same time ways to ensure
that you get as much hunting time as possible.

Catch
Up With Sleep

The number one strategy to ensure that you
maximize the amount of time you have during the hunting season, you need to make
up for the so-called "sleep debt" in the weeks leading up to the
hunting season. Humans need at least one of sleep to properly function and stay
alert for two hours. With this regard, if you are getting less than eight hours
of sleep, there is an accumulation of sleep debt that needs to be made up for.
In this regard, prior to the hunting season, try as much as possible to make up
the debt.

Take
Naps

During the hunting season, the tradition
has been to hunt during the weekend and work throughout the week. After all,
life must go on and responsibilities must be met. This means that during the
weekends when you are hunting, you tend to build up a substantial sleep debt.
As such, to make up for this debt, make a point of regularly taking naps during
the week in order to offset the difference. Whenever you have a chance, take a
nap. For instance, the period right after work is a good time to naps in
readiness for hunting weekends.

Additionally, when you experience being
sleepy while hunting, take 10- or 20-minute power naps. This gets rid of the
adenosine (the chemical responsible for the grogginess feeling) out of your
brain.

Reduce
Alcohol Consumption

Those glasses of wine or bottles of beer
that you regularly take after dinner tend may seem fine, but unbeknown to many,
they do influence the quality of sleep that one gets during. As the alcohol
wears off, there is a tendency for many people to experience subtle
withdrawals. The withdrawals tend to cause the awakening, negating the quality
of sleep that you experience, which in effects affects your alertness while
hunting. In this regard, negate the amount of alcohol that you consume in the
period leading up to the hunting season. Better yet, keep off alcohol
completely.

Make
Your Hunting Sleep Experience Comfortable

For proper rest and sleeping, make a point
of making your sleeping experience as comfortable as possible. Therefore, if
you are sleeping on the ground, carry with you supplies that make the sleeping
experience comfortable. For instance, carry with you sleeping pads that are
rated for all weather, earplug, and a blindfold. Additionally, carry items that
simulate the feeling of being at home. For instance, carry your favorite pair
of pajamas or sleep time book.

Opt
For Medication

If you anticipate finding it difficult to
sleep while on a hunting expedition, you should consider purchasing
"hypotonics" sleeping pills that have been proved to be safe and
effective to use on a short-term basis. Such medications include Ambien and
Sonata.

If you need to stay focused for longer
periods of time then there are a wide range of things that can help with that
too. CogniTune has a great, wide
selection of these.

You should also determine possible medical
conditions that will interfere with your sleep quality. Such conditions include
sleep apnea, heart conditions, and Parkinson's disease.

Monday, August 7, 2017

I have two things I carry with me at all times, well five actually. My phone, wallet, and keys are always with me, but everyone has those! The other two "optional" things I always have with me is a good pocket knife (I personally carry a Swiss Army Champ) and a tactical flashlight.

If I had to choose between the pocket knife and the flashlight...... I don't know. Day to day, I'd probably choose the knife, I use it dozens or times a day at work. But if I am going out into the woods or on the water, it would be the flash light 100% of the time. It is without a doubt the most useful tool I own and the most critical safety device I carry.

Flashlights are not what they used to be when I was growing up. This is what I used for the first 15 years I spent outdoors:

I still keep it by my desk. Mostly for nostalgia. I have upgraded it with an LED bulb, but I never use it. It is simply inferior in every way to modern flashlights.

Like many things related to the outdoors, modern tactical flashlights were first designed for military use. Don't believe me? Check out this Wikipedia article. It is pretty fascinating.

Thankfully outdoorsmen can now greatly benefit from these advances in technology. Modern flashlights are tougher, more efficient, and much, much brighter than those common just ten years ago.

I have two main flashlights that I use often. My older one is a Mag-light LED.

I carried it everyday for several years. I liked it because it is small, light, and uses AA batteries. It is not the brightest light available, but it gets the job done.

About a year ago, I retired the Mag-light to my trucks center console in exchange for this bad boy:

It is a Slyde 6267. This thing is amazing! It is about 250 lumens, which is enough to blind something at night and illuminate shadows in the day and takes AAA batteries (I don't like buying special batteries for my flashlights). It is made super tough and is weather proof.

The cool part is that it slides open to reveal a worklight!

Its base has a super strong rare earth magnet, which is also extremely handy. The only down side is that it is quite heavy at 10.6 OZ with batteries (I just weighed it!)

It stays on my hip in a Night-Eyez sheath. You can pick these up a Lowe's. They fit just about any flashlight out there.

Everyone has different needs from their flashlight. I'm not going to go over all of them out there because I don't have to! Thankfully There is a great gear review website that did this for us. If you are looking for an outdoor flashlight check out Rangermade! That link will take you directly to their flashlight review page!

Wow! I got off subject! Why do I think a flashlight is the most important tool for an outdoorsman?

Simple.

You have to see to do most things outdoors. You cannot see without light.
Can you find your deer stand a 4:00 in the morning without a flashlight at least occasionally helping you? I can't. Can you find a blood trail at dusk without one? Me neither. Can you tie on a fly predawn without a flashlight? Unload a boat in the morning? Find a dropped lure in the dark? Find your truck after the sun goes down? Make a fire at the campsite at night after a long day hiking? I need a flashlight to do these things and I bet you do too. The fact is, most of our prep work for a fun outdoors day is done in the dark. Almost everything we enjoy is done in the early morning or late evening. That requires getting up and ready before the sun does. Without a good flashlight we can't do these things.There is also the safety side of things. Aside from your PFD, a flashlight is the most important safety device you own. It prevents accidents by lighting your way and gets you out of tight spots by showing you the way. Once the sun goes down and you are on the water or in the woods without a flashlight, you are in trouble. If for some reason you do get in trouble and cannot make it out, a flashlight is the perfect signalling tool. It can be seen for miles in the dark and, aside from a cell phone or radio, is your best best for getting help. The thought of being in the woods at night without a light terrifies me! So much that I always have at least three lights with me when I am hunting. My standard flashlight, a headlamp, and a tiny emergency flashlight in my kit.What flashlight do you use? Why did you choose it? let me know in the comments!

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